TM: The Nomanisan Chapter
by inkl0v3
Summary: Sequel to Telling Max. Dash, Violet, Lindy and Duke are sent to investigate Nomanisan island. Will they be able to escape in time? DashOC
1. Chapter 1

**TM: The Nomanisan Chapter**

A/N: Second part of my telling max story. If you haven't read the first, this story probably won't make much sense. Okay, so this part of the story takes place about a month or so after the last one. Remember, the incredibles and Lucius belong to Disney and Pixar and Brad Bird and whoever else helped out; the other characters belong to me. Enjoy and review!

* * *

I stared out the taxi's fogged window, sighing as I rested my chin in my hand. I watched the lights of the buildings and cars pass blankly as I waited to arrive back at my house.

The "business trip" had lasted for four long weeks-longer than anyone thought it would last. I wasn't the one assigned super work, but Dash and Violet were. They mainly needed me on the trip to help with research. The reason they had gotten me was because I had been involved with Nomanisan Island and Sundew; they had found a connection between the two.

The taxi pulled up by the curb outside my house, and I grabbed my bag that was resting by my feet. I paid the driver, and then stood outside for a moment as the cab drove away. I gazed at the kitchen window, seeing the warm glow and happy silhouettes that were inside. Everyone was excited about me coming home, even if it meant that more of them would have to leave.

I finally walked up to the door, ringing the bell and waiting. I heard a hushed commotion inside, the sound of everyone realizing who was outside. Then, the door was flung open by Dash, who immediately threw himself on me in a hug.

"Dad!" Jack-Jack cried, rushing at me and attaching himself to my leg. Violet jumped on my back, hugging me around my neck. I managed to keep hold of my suitcase during all of this, and I now walked effortlessly into the living room. I sure was glad that I had super strength.

"Alright everyone, I think your dad needs a break. Come on, get off of him." Helen chided them. They released themselves from me, rushing back into the kitchen. Then, Helen walked over to me. She was smiling, gazing at me.

"So…Mr. Incredible," she murmured as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders, leaning towards me. "You glad to be back?"

"Yes, it was too long." I sighed before we kissed. I smiled down at her.

"DaAAADD!" Jack called out impatiently from the doorway. "We want to know what happened!"

Helen and I smiled at each other, rolling our eyes before joining the kids in the kitchen. Duke, Lindy, Max, and Lucius were in there too. I took a seat at the table, sighing as I sat. Everyone crowded around, leaning in curiously.

"Did you have to do any super work?" Violet asked, sitting too close to Max.

"No." I told them, setting my bag down on the floor and rummaging around in it. I pulled out a small metal box and set it on the table. Helen dimmed the lights as I opened it. A holographic screen popped up, showing a 3D map of Nomanisan Island.

"Violet, Dash, Duke, and Lindy…they want you to take on this case." I told them as the map started to zoom in on a part of the island near the volcanic mountain in the middle. They all exchanged excited glances. "Listen closely. Sundew was last seen at the fairgrounds where you supposedly defeated her. However, when they went back to search for her body the only thing they found was this metal piece in the shape of a sun." I explained as the screen showed the sun-shaped piece.

"Sooo…I didn't destroy her?" Duke asked, downhearted.

"We're not sure, but it would appear that she somehow survived. We traced the symbol and found a connection with Nomanisan Island. They think that there might be a civilization of villains living on the island, perhaps following in syndrome's footsteps." I told them as the metal sun was shown next to some cave art in the same design on the island.

"So you want us to go to the island?" Dash asked, leaning in over my shoulder. I glanced at him, only able to see the ten-year-old kid that had used his power to help save the world against syndrome. Shaking my head, I looked back at the screen.

"Yes, they want to drop you off from a stealth plane so that you can investigate what's happening, and maybe try to stop it."

"Didn't they send someone to investigate already?" Helen asked, touching my shoulder.

"Yes…" I paused, "But they disappeared."

The room was silent, only the faint hum of the hologram screen filling the dark room. Then, the screen disappeared and Dash flipped the lights back on.

"It's up to you guys if you want to go on this trip, you can say no." I told the four teenagers. They exchanged glances, seeming to communicate in that single look.

"Why would we not want to go?" Dash asked. "I mean, Lindy helped us all get healed in record time, I'm already good as new."

"Yeah, I've been practicing with my new powers and I know I'm ready." Violet spoke up.

Duke and Lindy looked at each other before nodding in agreement. I exhaled slowly, putting the metal box back in my bag. I retrieved four files, handing one to each of them.

"You leave in three days." I told them.

"Three days?!" Dash cried. Max glanced at Violet quickly.

"We can do it; we'll be ready." Violet nodded, standing. I watched her go upstairs to her old room, ready to pack. Max watched her leave before following her. I stood back up, tired and spent. All I wanted to do was go to sleep; I knew that that would probably be impossible; what with all of them leaving soon I'd be too worried to get any rest.

* * *

I knocked on Violet's door and she opened it almost immediately. I walked in, closing the door behind me. Violet was putting clothes and her supersuit into a backpack. I watched her for awhile before speaking.

"Three days…" I sighed.

"Yeah, I know. I'm so nervous." She replied happily, hugging herself.

"But, what about our plans for Saturday?" I asked her. She stopped, standing up.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Max…I completely forgot!" She turned back to me. "We can make it up when I get back." She promised.

"But-why do you have to go?" I asked her, bringing her into a hug.

"Because, as a superhero, you have certain responsibilities that others don't have. Sometimes you have to sacrifice what you want for what you need to do." She told me softly. I smiled down at her, her violet eyes so big and fearless.

"I love you." I told her. She smiled.

"I know." She leaned up towards me, kissing me on the cheek before going back and packing.

* * *

The quiet droning of the stealth aircraft we were in was the only sound as we flew over the Pacific Ocean. I was looking out the small window, seeing the endless amount of water flying by underneath us with nervous anticipation.

Lindy and Duke were sitting next to each other across from me, holding hands. Violet was next to me, rummaging through her backpack. Finally, she brought out a gold locket in the shape of a heart. She fastened it around her neck, hiding it beneath the collar of her shirt. She looked over at me as I was studying her.

"It's from Max, he gave it to me last year and I thought that it would be good luck to wear it." She shrugged. I smiled at my sister before looking back out the window.

We had been told to wear civilian clothes so that, if we were caught, we could say that our plane had crashed or our boat had sunk…or something like that. Our identity didn't need protecting unless we were going to be around civilization.

"Alright, we're almost to the jump point. When we get there, you're going to jump out the cargo door and deploy your parachute after about twenty seconds of free fall. You're landing near the southern part of the island, in a lagoon. That is where you will go and send a flare signal when you need someone to pick you up. You must wait till sunset or later to send out a flare, because that is when we're sending a stealth plane to fly over the island. There won't be any stealth plane for the first three days, so use caution." The pilot's voice explained over the intercom. "We've reached the jump point…proceed at any moment."

Violet stood, followed by the rest of us. She flung open the cargo door, and far below I could see the speck in the middle of the endless ocean that was Nomaisan. Violet stepped aside, signaling for me to go first.

"Alright Speed Demon, your ultimate thrill ride awaits." She smiled, her goggles starting to fog because of the cool air whipping around us.

I walked forward, leaning gently out the cargo door. I glanced back once more at our small group before I threw myself out of the plane. I immediately felt my stomach drop as I fell, the wind screaming in my ears. The speck of an island grew larger, and I could start to make out the lagoon we were supposed to land in.

I held my breath as I deployed my parachute. Instantly my falling slowed, and the wind wasn't as loud or cold.

I looked up, seeing three more parachutes opening above me. Looking back down, I tried to steer myself past the coral reef and sand bar that formed the outer part of the lagoon. My feet skimmed the water, and then I fell into it, sinking down towards the bottom. I swam back up to the surface and, working as fast as I could, unstrapped myself from the parachute.

Someone landed by me, sputtering and coughing. Looking over, I saw Duke as he was trying to untangle himself from his parachute also. I got myself free and swam over to help him. Lindy landed farther ahead of us, and Duke swam over to her. Violet landed almost on top of me, but I helped her out of her parachute also. Then, running for shore, I dried myself off as my feet flew over the surface of the water. I had collapsed under a tree when I reached the shore, dropping my backpack by my feet.

I fell asleep within five minutes, exhausted from the fall and swimming around trying to help everyone. My eyes closed, and I thought that I saw a shape above me in the tree watching me, but it was probably nothing.

* * *

A/N: There it is, one of the shortest chapters of this whole story I'm pretty sure. Oh well, I had to get it started somehow. For some reason, this was really hard to write. I don't know if it was boring or what, but it took me forever to write this single chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, because this story is going to get much better soon-I promise!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

A/N: I don't own the incredibles, Disney does. The rest of the characters are mine so no stealing! This is a longer chapter this time. Alright, chapter two is ready for ready for you to read so enjoy and review!

* * *

I awoke to the sound of birds and a warm breeze on my face. I blinked my eyes open and sunlight blinded me temporarily, but then I could see where we had collapsed last night.

The waves from the lagoon lapped at my feet as I stood, brushing the sand out of my hair with my hands. There was a small group of trees where we were, shielding us from sight. Duke had his mouth open where he lay sprawled. Lindy was curled up in one of the tree roots, sighing every now and then. Dash looked as if he had fallen asleep right where he had fallen last night.

We were close to the edge of the jungle, an immense wall of trees ahead of us. The lagoon we had swum across seemed so huge this morning, I wondered how we had managed to cross it. Beyond the jungle, the top of the volcano stretched out above the canopy of leaves. And now, we had to find a civilization of villains and try to stop them before they could wreck havoc on the world.

"Impossible." I breathed, smiling to myself. I enjoyed a challenge.

* * *

"We've been…hiking for over…two hours. When are…we going to get there?" Dash panted, following behind me.

"First of all, we don't even know where there is. Secondly, we'll get there when we get there." I told him, pausing as I stopped by a small waterfall. Lindy and Violet trudged up and joined us in stopping. Lindy sat down and cupped her hands, drinking the water slowly, before splashing the rest on her face. I smiled as she looked up at me.

Then, her eyes rolled back in their sockets and she fell over, moaning and shaking. I dropped down beside her with a cry, my hands hovering over her body as I wondered what to do. I turned to Violet.

"Quick, hand me a water bottle!" I yelled at her. She threw one at me, staring at Lindy. I patted my girlfriend's face, forcing her mouth open and pouring some water down her throat. It was a minute or two before she grew quieter and still. Her eyes returned to normal, and she glanced up at me. I could tell that she wasn't doing great, that she was barely conscious, and that I could lose her at any moment.

"Lindy!" I cried, turning her head towards me. Her eyelids started to droop. "Lindy, you have to heal yourself! Do you hear me? I can't help you; you have to use your powers!" I told her. She tried to keep her eyes open, and I could see her hands were glowing a faint green, but was it enough?

Then, her eyes shone white and her hands hovered in the air, covering our surroundings in a green light.

She fell back to the ground, her breathing labored and her eyes closed, but she was alive. I closed my eyes, trying to hide my tears behind my hand as I held it up to my face. Then, she sat up slowly. I reached out to support her.

"The water…it's poisoned." She murmured as I hugged her.

"Well no duh." Dash breathed as he neared her. "You only just barely survived there."

"Yeah, not the type of welcome gift we were expecting." Violet added softly, picking up her water bottle. "I'd say that whoever's on this island doesn't want others around. Looks like we're going to find some villains after all."

"Are you alright? Do we need to stay here for awhile?" I asked Lindy once I was calm again, running my hand through her hair.

"No, no, I'm fine. We can move on." She replied, standing back up.

"You sure?" I asked, getting to my feet.

"Yeah, we need to keep moving." She started to walk off. I followed her closely, still not convinced.

She lasted ten minutes before collapsing. I knelt down beside her, putting my hand on her back and holding her hair as she vomited.

Then, she sat back with her eyes full of tears. I sat next to her, holding her hand. It was quiet for a moment, and I was glad that Violet and Dash were hanging back behind the trees to give us some privacy.

"I'm sorry, I tried to make it farther…" her voice broke as the tears escaped. I wiped them away gently.

"You didn't have to do that; you almost died. Why did you act like it was no big deal?" I asked her. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice.

"Because, I didn't want to think about it." She told me. "I almost didn't make it, and we haven't even found anyone here yet. I don't want to think about what they could do to us…" she broke off. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, rubbing her back.

"It's okay; it's scary to think about. How about we rest for awhile and after lunch we can start again, okay?" I asked her.

"Okay." She sniffed, smiling up at me. I kissed the top of her head, closing my eyes and smiling weakly.

* * *

The trees had gotten thicker, but I could make them out still. The group appeared to be moving towards our main base, but was stopped when one of them, a red-headed girl, drank from some water. I smiled as she fell. She had only seconds till death overcame her.

Then, she seemed to burst in light. I stared closer, and saw that she was sitting up. Then, I understood.

She was a super.

The others had to be supers too, who else would be on an uncharted island full of us? I would have to watch these supers closer.

I held up my walkie-talkie, turning away from the group as I pressed the communicate button down.

"This is number 23, and there is at least one super in the group of four that landed last night at eight hundred hours. I will continue to trail them and make contacts when necessary."

* * *

I looked through the binoculars, seeing the building that had been disguised into the base of the volcano. It looked big, and there was some commotion at the entrance. I passed the binoculars to Violet.

"It looks like it could be their main base by the size of it, that is, if they have more than one base." I told my sister as she studied the building.

"Yeah, but we have to get closer." She sighed, giving the binoculars back. I put them in my backpack as she turned to Duke and Lindy.

Lindy had gotten better the farther we had gotten, and now she was back to her old self. We had reached the volcano near the middle of the island by sunset.

"How are we going to get closer?" Lindy asked.

"It's no problem, I've been working with my powers since sundew and now they're more powerful than ever." Violet told them, reaching her hand out to Lindy's arm and turning it invisible.

Lindy disappeared, except for her clothes. Duke leapt up, and I gasped.

"Oh no way…" I smiled, "You've never been able to do that before!" I told her. She smiled proudly.

"Umm, one problem, our clothes don't disappear." Duke pointed out. Violet let her hand become visible, and Lindy returned.

"Well, that could be fixed…" Violet thought. Lindy blushed.

"No, no way!" Duke shook his head, starting to pace.

"No, just think about it. I turn us invisible, we take off our clothes and put them in Dash's backpack, which he can take in with him using his super speed. When we get inside to a safe place, we put them on and I turn us visible again." She suggested. The two were still reluctant. They turned to me.

"Hey, it's all we have." I shrugged. Duke sighed.

"Yeah, you agree to her plan because it doesn't involve you. Fine, we'll do it." He turned back to my sister. She nodded, grabbing each of their hands and turning them invisible. I turned my back to them, looking once more at the base. I had a good feeling about this, this was going to work.

* * *

We snuck down the corridor as I glanced nervously around us, shivering with fear and the cold. It also felt weird, being invisible.

I almost cried out when I saw a man walking towards us, but a hand was shoved over my mouth. It was Duke's; I could tell from the size and toughness. I looked over to where he would be standing, but didn't see anything.

We passed twenty-six people as we walked through the base, all dressed in the same black uniform. I had managed to stay quiet and somewhat calm.

We finally reached an alcove in a deserted hallway. Opposite of us there was a pool of water, lit up by green lights. On the end of either hallway, there was a metallic door that would open automatically whenever anyone walked through it. Violet went to both, locking them from the inside, careful to keep us within touch so we wouldn't become visible. Finally, we returned to the alcove.

"Dash?" Violet whispered. A wind rushed past my head, whipping my hair around. Dash appeared, backpack in hand.

"I got your clothes right here." He told us, rummaging around his bag and finally pulling out a wad of clothes and handing them to Duke, another stack of clothes to me, and a pile of clothes to Violet. He turned and walked to one of the doors, making sure it was locked while we got dressed.

I pulled on my underwear and shorts, then my tank. Violet dropped her hand and I reappeared. I sat down, putting on my socks and hiking boots.

Duke followed me, his oversized brown jacket touching my arm. I shivered, the coldness of the base returning. Then, Duke slid his jacket over my shoulders. I turned to him, smiling.

His goofy smile lit up his face as he stood there in a t-shirt and jeans. I stood, walking over to the pool of water. Something was swimming down in the depths of it, for the water seemed to continue down forever and branch off into other tunnels.

I leaned closer, and saw a huge shark, made out of metal, its dark eyes glinting in the green light.

"Indestructible sharks, I've seen them before." Duke nodded as Violet joined us. "They can't be destroyed and they're trained to kill whatever comes into the water. Easy enough to get past." He shrugged. I stared at him.

"How are those monsters easy to get past?" I asked him.

"Well, for one thing, they don't like heat, which is what my power's all about. Violet can use force fields for protection, and Dash could out-swim them. You have your telekinetic powers, which may be able to unarm them, and healing (just in case of injury)." He explained.

"So getting past these sharks all hinges on our abilities with our powers? Great." I sighed.

"Well, you better be ready to deal with them soon enough, because that's how we're getting through this base." Violet nodded down at the water.

"What?"

"That, believe it or not, is the safest way to get through the base." Dash replied, coming over towards us. "And I've unlocked the doors before someone got suspicious, so we better get moving."

And with that, he plunged into the water.

"Is he crazy?!" I yelled to the other two. Then, one of the doors opened at the far end of the hallway.

"Your turn!" Duke yelled, pushing me in. I didn't have time to scream before I was underwater. Dash was waiting for us, swimming away when one of the mechanical sharks got too close.

I grabbed hold of his arm, motioning to the surface as Duke and Violet came splashing in. Dash nodded, and he sped off with me in tow. We went down the second tunnel, dodging the sharks that blurred past our vision. We left a trail of bubbles and churning water as we headed down one tunnel, then another.

Suddenly, Dash slowed. I looked over at him, and saw that he looked tired and weak. He needed air.

I pushed us to the surface wherever we were, and pulled his head above the water. He gasped, coughing up some water as I glanced around. We were in what appeared to be a large room with three stories. We were on the top floor.

Noticing the large metallic shapes that were gathering beneath us, I grabbed onto the edge of the pool and dragged us out of the water. Once we were out of the water, Violet and Duke appeared at the surface, getting out themselves. Duke dried us off using his power.

We were on a metal platform that looked over into the room, which happened to be some sort of operating room. I leaned over the edge carefully, staring down at the floor beneath us.

There was a single light in the room and it glanced off the walls with a cold, pale reflection. Below us two floors there were three gurneys, but only one was occupied. There were about two guards in the room, along with someone who looked as if they were a doctor. The person on the gurney was a girl who looked as if she were only a few years younger than me.

Duke touched my arm, and I turned back to the group. Violet motioned for us to get close together so she could talk as quietly as possible.

"Duke and I saw a room while we were following you two that looked like it held the main computer. I say that we split up. Dash, you're going to save that girl down there while we create a diversion. Then, the rest of us are going to get a look at that computer and figure out what's going on." She whispered.

"Why do I need to save the girl?" Dash asked.

"Because, she looks like she's in danger, and she could give us some information. Now, if we get separated, we'll meet back at the lagoon in three days. If we don't all reach there in time, whoever's there will send off the flare and bring back a search crew. Got it?" Violet asked us. We all nodded.

* * *

A/N: Summer Band has started...24 gruling days before school starts. Eight hours of marching and playing instruments. Who came up with that? Anyway, it'll take me longer now to update chapters so be patient and review.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three**

A/N: Okay, I cut the last chapter in half because it was taking me a long time to write it, and I didn't want it to be too long. Anyway, Disney/Pixar owns the Incredibles and I own the rest. Review!

* * *

I leapt to the second floor, and then paused as I stared down at the girl who was strapped into the gurney. She had messy, light-brown hair that tumbled down her shoulders. Her eyes were a dark brown and were staring straight up, as if she were thinking about something else. I leaned over the railing, and her eyes darted to me.

I tried to disappear again into the shadows, but her gaze still found me. She was staring at me with puzzlement, as if to figure out who I was and what I was doing.

Then, the far wall exploded. I glanced up at my sister, smiling before she disappeared. I leapt to the ground while there was still smoke shrouding the room. I rushed over to the girl, unfastening her as fast as possible.

"Hey-what are you doing?" she cried as I grabbed her, pulling her off of the gurney.

"What does it look like? Saving you!" I yelled at her as the guards started to surround us. I glanced around at them and was about to rush off when there was a sharp pain in my side. I screamed before taking my chance and tearing off out the hole in the wall and into the jungle. I had only gone about two or three miles (that is, about thirty seconds) before I tumbled to the ground with the girl.

"Ahh!" she cried as I dropped her, falling to my knees. I tried to paw at my side, and plucked a type of dart from my skin. I held it in my hand, staring at it.

The girl, still complaining, crawled over to me. Then, she saw me gripping my side and holding the dart.

"Oh…I get it, you're a super." She smiled. I glanced up at her.

"What, what is this?" I asked her, indicating the dart.

"It's a power zapper, or…at least that's what I call it. I'm sure they have a more scientific name for it or something." She shrugged, "But it takes away your powers for about 48 hours, maybe longer, I can't remember." She stood, grabbing the dart and throwing it into the bushes. My head was rushing and I felt weak.

"I think I'm going to be sick." I muttered, rolling onto my side.

"Yeah, getting your powers sucked out of you usually does that. They only used one of those little suckers on me once, but man did it ever feel weird to be normal." She studied her nails, sitting next to me. I glanced at her.

"You know, I was expecting at least a 'thank you' when I rescued you." I told her, trying to keep my lunch inside my stomach. She looked down at me.

"I could've rescued myself, thank you very much!" she told me as she took off her boots, stretching her feet out. Her black tank showed off the muscles under her skin, looking powerful whenever she moved. She was wearing khaki shorts, and her finely toned calves seemed rather tan.

Then, groaning, I turned over to one of the bushes and started to retch. I sure hoped that the others were having better luck than me.

* * *

Once I came to, I saw that Lindy, Duke and me had been captured. We were hanging on a rock wall, our hands and feet in shackles that seemed to glow a faint blue. I lifted my head, glancing at the other two. Duke was awake, but Lindy was still unconscious.

I tried to remember what had happened before. We had run to the computer room, the alarm went off, too many guards to count…

"Duke, we lost?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Yeah, we lost big-time." He sighed. Lindy muttered something, coming to. Duke tried to move to help her, but was unable to because of the heavy shackles. Lindy woke, and soon realized what had happened.

"No! We need to stop them! How could this have happened?" she asked.

"It happened because we knew you were here the minute you jumped out of the plane." A man told us, stepping into the light. "We had an agent following you since you landed. We knew you were here, and we let your friend escape. The girl he 'saved' is one of us, and since he was hit with a power-stunting dart, he will have no powers while hers are full and untamed." He smiled at us.

"Alright, who're you?" Duke asked.

"I am Gerald Ripper, and I'm in charge of overseeing our prisoners and test subjects. You are our top priority right now. Where you are being kept, here, is the dungeon of our base, although you could easily escape by blasting through that wall over there and into the jungle by way of the waterfall. Go ahead, try and escape." He dared us.

I didn't waste any time before trying to turn myself invisible. I saw Duke straining to try to produce fire in his hands. Lindy had her eyes closed, yet nothing happened. Ripper smiled.

"You see, you are being kept in anti-super shackles. While they are locked, you won't be able to use your powers. Keep trying, you'll just wear yourselves out."

"Alright, fine. What's going on here?" I demanded, my hair falling into my face. He came over and stood in front of me.

"We are the agents against supers, or A.A.S. We're following in Syndrome's footsteps in trying to rid the world of true supers. We're doing experiments to see how well we can control powers, both giving and taking them away." He explained, staring each of us in the face. I shivered, wondering if he'd be using us in these experiments. "We've been very successful so far, of course we do have to use mind control to keep our patients under control." He shrugged regretfully.

"So, be content with your fate Spectrum, Viridian, and Blaze." He nodded at each of us, somehow knowing our names. "You will never step foot off of this island again…maybe not even outside. Or, if you do, it will be without your powers." He smirked, disappearing back into the shadows. I tried to follow him with my gaze, but he seriously creeped me out.

"Alright, so far, I _really _don't like this mission." Duke sighed.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I lied, this is DEFINITLEY the shortest chapter in the whole story. I should've added more to it, but I didn't. Review please! Your input helps me know what I need to change or keep with my writing. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

A/N: I don't own the Incredibles. That's all I have to say, so enjoy!

* * *

It had been a long night, spent mainly on trying to think of ways to escape. Lindy was next to me, her head tilted in an odd angle as she slept. I wished that I could be a true hero, and try to get us out. Finally, near sunrise, I gave up.

"I can't do this-there's no way to escape!" I yelled, trying to kick my foot out in anger but not getting very far. Lindy blinked her eyes open, glancing over at me.

"Duke, just try to get some rest. There's no way we could use our powers to get out of here, you heard what that guy said." She murmured to me, leaning her head as close as she could.

"No way could we use our powers…" Violet said to herself. We both looked over at her.

She looked down at her chest, and we noticed her gold locket there. Then, she looked back up with a smile.

"Of course…we can't use our powers to get out of here, but we can find a non-super way to escape!" and with that, she started to twist her upper body as much as she could. Then, once the necklace started to swing, she twirled her head around, and the necklace flew close to the shackle on her right wrist. Another swing and it lodged inside.

She then brought her head towards her left, twisting her wrist to where the locket popped open. The combined movement somehow broke the shackle. Her hand was free.

"Violet, you're a genius." I smiled.

"I know." She replied.

She quickly released herself and us before blasting through the wall. It led onto a sheer rock wall. There was a thin shelf that wrapped around towards the sound of rushing water.

Then, sounds of heavy footsteps rang out from above us somewhere. They were coming to stop us. We turned back, peering out at the jungle far below us, before glancing at each other.

"You first." I offered Violet. She huffed, grabbing onto the ledge and starting to climb. I stopped Lindy before she could go.

"Be careful." I told her, kissing her. She nodded, her eyes bright.

Then, guards rushed into the room. I glanced back at them as Lindy hurriedly went out on the cliff. I tried to follow, but something grabbed at my ankle and I fell onto the hard ground. I heard Lindy scream. I tried to get up, but found that whatever had grabbed my ankle was also wrapping itself around my wrists. I struggled, but only got more tangled up in what looked like a rope.

Trying to use my powers, I found I couldn't and realized that this must be an anti-super rope, or something.

"Lindy…GO!" I yelled at her as I glanced up, and she quickly disappeared onto the thin ledge. I saw Ripper return, walking calmly to the hole in the wall. He glanced outside, and then turned back to us.

"It's too late; they've gone over the falls. We'll have to be satisfied with this one." His eyes narrowed as he glared at me. "Take him into the confinement room."

I gulped, hoping that Lindy and Violet were safe.

* * *

The current had finally calmed, and I used all my strength to pull myself out of the churning water. I was trying to catch my breath as Violet walked over to me.

"They…they got Duke." I told her, pushing my hair behind my ear. I could sense her nodding.

"When can save him later; First we need to disable their mind-control device." She said.

"What mind control device?" I asked her, standing up.

"You heard that guy; they've got all their experiments on mind control. There HAS to be a mind control device somewhere to disable. I say that we search for another base."

"How are we going to do that?" I asked. Violet smiled.

"I'm glad you asked…"

* * *

I moaned as I woke up, the sun already up. Then, someone's face popped up right in front of me. I yelled, jumping into a sitting position, only to fall over a tree root behind me. I glanced up to see the girl laughing at me.

"Feel better Jet?" she asked as I stood. I rubbed my hair with my hand tiredly.

"My name's not Jet, and I do feel better." I told her, slinging my backpack over my shoulder.

"Well that's great!" she replied, bouncing over to me. I looked down at my compass before heading off in a certain direction. She walked backwards in front of me, still talking.

"So Jet, where ya going?" she asked. I didn't look up.

"I'm heading south, and taking you with me. If we can get there in three days, we'll be able to catch a ride out of here." I told her, snapping the compass shut.

"What? Why are you taking me with you…Jet?" she smirked. I stopped with an exasperated sigh.

"My name is NOT Jet; it's Dash, if you wanted to know. And I'm taking you with me because I'm in charge of rescuing you."

"How chivalrous of you." She muttered, finally moving out of my way. She started to climb a tree, and followed me in the branches above. I did my best to ignore her, although it was hard when she crashed through the trees like a monkey.

Suddenly, she swung down in front of me, hanging by her knees from a branch. Her hair fell down, and her eyes were bright.

"My name's Jade, just in case you wanted to know." She smiled, batting her eyelashes at me.

"I didn't, but thanks for telling me anyway." I muttered, stepping around her. She leapt to the ground cat-like, before running to catch up with me. She stepped in front of me, stopping my pace. I finally met her angry gaze.

"Okay Jet, what's with you? Why are you so…cold?" she asked.

"My name is _not Jet_!" I yelled, turning and throwing my hands up in the air. "And I'm not cold."

Jade smiled coyly.

"Oh…I get it."

"Get what?" I asked her, walking back over to where she was standing.

"You _like _me, admit it! You have a _crush _on me!" she smirked. I stared at her.

"_What?!" _I asked her. "What are you _talking _about?"

"Just wait; you'll tell me sooner or later." She murmured. I was about to say something, but I was speechless. I pushed her aside, leading the way.

"Great, they sent me to rescue a crazy girl…" I muttered under my breath.

* * *

The room they had put me in was dark, the only lights in the room coming from the machines on a desk. I had been put back into the anti-super shackles and left alone. The only sound in the few hours I had been in here was the faint crackling of static from what looked like a radio. I had fallen asleep, tired from last night.

Then, the sound of the door sliding open woke me. I looked up to see a dark figure approaching me. It was only when he got closer that I could see that it was Ripper. He wore his usual grim expression, amused at my situation.

"How has your first day been?" he asked, his voice echoing and sounding strange when it was the only human voice I had heard in hours.

"Long." I answered, deciding not to gloat about how I had slept through it.

"Well, get used to it. The following days will be very hard for you, I suspect." He smiled. I met his gaze.

"I doubt it." I told him. Then, my stomach rumbled.

"So you can do without food and water then?" he asked with a smirk. My confidence faltered, but only for a moment.

"I can try, and I can succeed if I try. I'm a super." I told him.

"Not anymore!" he yelled, "Not in these chains you aren't."

I finally dropped my eyes, realizing what serious trouble I was in. If the others couldn't save me in time…

"Well, we'll just see how you take to starvation, won't we?" Ripper seethed, grabbing me by my chin and wrenching my head towards him. I glanced up at his dark, angry eyes, and shivered. Such hatred, but why?

Then, he dropped my head roughly before turning and leaving. I was left alone, shivering and scared. If there was one place in the world I didn't want to be, it was here. Why did I ever agree to this?

* * *

I had been sent out to find the two supers that had escaped, and it was almost too easy. They had left footprints, traces of where they had stopped to eat, and finally, their backpacks.

I stopped, wondering why they had left their backpacks. I was about to radio base, when somethign heavy dropped on top of me, making me fall to the ground and drop my radio communicater.

"Alright, where's the other base?" a voice whispered in my ear.

"Which one? There's about ten." I smiled, tensing my arms and getting ready to leap up, kicking the super off my back.

Suddenly, something else picked me up, lifting me off the ground as whoever was on my back jumped off. I looked down to see two girls, one with dark hair and the other with shorter, red hair. The red-headed one was the one who had lifted me off the ground, using telepathy.

"At least give us a hint." The dark-haired one smiled.

"Sorry, guess you'll just have to guess." I told them. They glanced at each other, the dark-haired one nodding at the red-head. Then, I was flung head-first into a tree.

* * *

A/N: That sounded like it could hurt. Oh well, he was a bad guy. Be paitient, I still have two weeks of band and then school. I feel so stressed out right now; summer band is the worst thing in the world, but at least you get a killer tan. I'll hopefully will be posting the next chapter soon, so please be paitient and review.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter five**

A/N: Yay, another chapter! This story is getting harder and harder to write; I don't know if I've lost my inspiration for it or what. Oh well, I don't own the Incredibles, only my original characters. Enjoy and review!

* * *

It was near the end of my first day with Jade, and it had been a long one. She always knew exactly how to annoy me. It didn't help how hot it was; you'd expect a rain forest to be a little cooler. Finally, around sunset, I dropped my bag by a clump of trees near a small river. I sunk to the ground, exhausted. Jade joined me, still full of energy somehow. She started chattering on about something- maybe the weather or the moon or something- but I ignored her.

"Wow, that's some sunburn you've got there." She whistled.

"What?" I asked, crawling over to the river quickly. Glancing in at my reflection, I groaned. My nose and the top of my cheeks were bright red. I heard Jade snickering and I turned back towards her.

"How'd you not get sunburned?" I demanded.

"I never do; I tan instead of burning." She shrugged, tossing her golden brown hair over her un-burnt shoulder. I scowled as I rummaged around in my bag for some matches.

Finding them under a can of soup, I also fished out a small tin pan. I glanced around, trying to find some dry wood and starting to build a fire. Jade studied me.

"You were in boy scouts-weren't you?" she asked with a small smile. I looked up as I got a match out of the box.

"Yeah, how'd you know that?" I asked her, striking the match against the side of the box.

"The way you built the fire…kindling, then twigs, then larger sticks."

I had been staring at her while listening when suddenly I felt something burning my finger. I cursed, jumping up and tossing the burnt match to the ground. Jade jumped up, rushing towards me quickly while I sucked on my finger, grimacing at the pink skin where it had been burned.

"Are you okay?" she asked, peering down at my finger. I glanced at her quizzically, wondering why she just now seemed to care about me.

"Yeah, I just burnt the heck out of my finger." I sighed.

"Go wash it out in the river; I'll fix dinner." She told me, giving me a small push in the direction of the stream.

"Are you sure?" I asked her. She glanced back at me as she bent over the fire.

"Yeah, I may not be a boy scout but I think I can handle cooking some soup." She smiled. I smiled back, staring at her as I leant over the water.

* * *

I had just turned my back from Dash when I heard a splash and a gasp. I glanced back to find him, halfway in the river, still turned to me.

"You alright?" I asked.

"Yeah, just fine, just lost my balance. I'm fine, really." He replied nervously, getting up. I nodded, smiling as I turned back to the fire. I picked up the can of soup, frowning as I studied the aluminum can. I glanced back at Jet quickly before turning back around.

I brought one of my fingers towards the soup, flicking out a claw and using it to shred through the top of the can. Smiling, I retracted the claw and poured the soup into the small pan before holding it over the fire. My powers could come in handy, at times.

"Hey, how'd you open the soup?" I heard Dash ask from behind me, causing me to almost drop the pan.

"Uh…there was a sharp rock…somewhere." I told him.

"I'll say, it completely ripped through the metal." He remarked, picking up the can. I smiled weakly, turning back to the fire.

He sat across from me, taking off his boots and tossing them over by his backpack. I studied him through the flames.

"Is your finger better?" I asked him. He looked over at me.

"Yeah, still sore but it'll get better." He shrugged, leaning against a log. He sighed and glanced up at the top of the trees above us. The light from the fire flickered across his face, revealing the worried look he had.

"What's the matter Jet?" I asked him, setting the pan down. He looked at me again through the wavering heat of the fire.

"My name is not Jet." He sighed. "And it's just-I'm just worried."

"About what?" I asked, leaning towards him a little.

"About the rest of my group. They went to find out something on the main computer, and I haven't seen them since. I think something bad must've happened." He stretched his legs out, studying his feet.

"Well, I hope they're okay." I replied, biting my lip. Jet looked back up at me, as if trying to figure something out.

"You didn't say that very convincingly." He told me.

"Well, it's just that…you know what they did to you, with the dart and everything?" I asked him. He nodded, rubbing his arm where they had shot him. "The people on this island could do a million things worse than that if they happened to catch your friends. I mean, believe me; I've had to live here since…" I trailed off.

"Since when?" he asked, leaning towards the fire and me.

"Since I could remember." I shrugged, picking the pan of soup back up.

"But-what is it about this island? What's going on?" he asked. I winced, knowing that I had said too much.

"It's…the people here, they…they aren't all that good. They want to-to wipe out supers, every last one." I told him. He sat up, wide-eyed.

"But…how?" he asked. I lifted my eyes towards him, seeing the look of curiosity on his face.

"By…" I took a deep breath, "experimenting on people to make them supers too. They control the experiments and their powers through mind-control. They're going to use these 'experiments' to wipe out all the supers before wiping them out also." I told him.

"That's insane!" he cried.

"You wouldn't know." I sighed under my breath. "The soup's ready."

He went over to his bag, muttering to himself before bringing out two metal spoons. He sat by me on my side of the fire, handing one of the spoons to me. I tensed as he sat down, feeling him so close.

"Sorry, I don't have another bowl or anything. I wasn't planning on feeding more than one person." He apologized, slurping down a spoonful of soup.

"It's fine." I replied, trying the soup myself. We ate in silence for awhile, just staring into the fire. The only sound was the crackling of the flames and the noise of the jungle birds and bugs that come out at night. He finally sighed, putting his spoon down.

"I'm sorry I'm so quiet, I just…it's my sister. She was one of the people that came with us." He told me.

"You mean one of the supers that came with you." I smiled. He stared at me.

"How'd you know that?" he asked.

"The people on this island knew who you were and why you were here before you landed." I told him, abandoning my spoon also. "That's why I was worried about your friends."

"You? Worried?" he gasped, his voice dripping in sarcasm. I smiled.

"What? You think I don't have any feelings?" I asked him.

"No, it's not that, it's just that you…" he paused, thinking as I stared at him.

"I'm beautiful and charming?" I asked, batting my eyelashes at him.

"No, it's that. You seem so…annoying."

"Annoying?" I asked, leaning back.

"No, not that; it just seems that you don't seem to take anything seriously." He stuttered nervously. I smiled, leaning back in.

"If I always took everything seriously, there wouldn't be anything for me to smile about." I told him. He smiled slowly. I gazed at his face, noticing for the first time his blue eyes. His short blonde hair was sticking up in odd angles around his head, messed up from the humidity and last night's sleep. His smile was beautiful, with white teethe and dimples and everything; the perfect superhero smile.

"Jade? You okay?" he asked. I shook my head, blinking my eyes.

"Yeah, just spaced out for a moment." I told him, picking my spoon up again. "So, Jet, tell me about your family." I asked, slurping a lukewarm sip of soup.

"Well, my parents used to be supers before the government banned them. My dad's Mr. Incredible, and my mom used to be Elastigirl. I have a little brother, but he's too young to have a super identity. My sister is Spectrum, and she can turn herself invisible and use force fields." He replied as if he was just talking about what he had done over the summer. I stared at him as he continued to eat. He glanced at me and, noticing how I was staring at him, dropped his spoon and sat up.

"What?" he asked. My face screwed up into a smile as I tried not to burst out laughing.

"You said that all so calmly, as if it were something normal." I laughed.

"Well, it is normal…at least for my family it is." He sighed, leaning back against the log behind us. "What about your family?" he asked.

My smile slipped right off my face as I stared down at the pan of soup I was holding. Jet noticed my silence, and had turned back to me.

"Jade, what's the matter?" he asked, scooting closer.

"I…don't have a family. I mean, I might of, a long time ago, but I just…can't remember." I sighed, glancing over at him with a faint smile. "I was brought to this island when I was little, probably still a baby. That's what the people here do; they bring kids here to experiment on. Sometimes the experiments were successful, and others…not so much. Sometimes the experiments work, but the kids lose control of their powers before they get implanted with mind-control."

He had been staring at me during this, and I suddenly felt very uncomfortable. I started to get up.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have told you that." I told him as I stood. He grabbed my wrist, pulling me back down. "Hey-what?!" I cried as I fell on top of him.

Embarrassed, I slid to the ground next to him. He was still staring at me.

"I don't get you Jade; first you don't seem to care at all about anything, then you suddenly care too much." He said softly. I sighed, glancing over at him.

"Well, maybe I don't get you either Jet." I told him. We held each other's gaze for a moment before I broke the moment and looked up through the treetops at the stars above us. I could feel Dash next to me as he followed my gaze. We stayed quiet for a long time, both smiling to ourselves.

* * *

I had lost track of time, spending the hours sleeping or thinking, trying to find a way out of the anti-super chains. Unfortunate for me, I wasn't as clever as Violet was.

It was sometime during the night (or it could have been day for all I know; it was always dark in the room I was in), that I saw Lindy.

_She was wearing my jacket over a white dress that clung to her as if it were wet. She seemed to materialize out of the darkness in front of me, creeping closer slow__ly__. I raised my head, blinking my eyes as I saw her approach._

_"Lindy…" I said in a scratchy voice. _

_She stood in front of me, placing her hands on my face as she lifted my head towards her. I closed my eyes at her touch, breathing in __deeply. She smelled like the rain. I felt her close to me and opened my eyes to see her face in front of mine. She had kissed me on the cheek softly, and was now smiling at me sadly._

_"Lindy…how are you here?" I asked her softly, licking my dry lips._

_"Duke," she smiled wider at me, "I died when I fell into the waterfall. I'm dead." _

I jerked awake, panting. Looking around, I half expected to find Lindy's ghost standing there. Eventually, I calmed down as I realized that it was just a dream. I sighed, trying to remember her touch. I would give anything to see her again, or anyone for that matter. I was so thirsty…so hungry. I couldn't remember how long someone could go without water, but I knew that it wasn't long.

"Lindy…" I sighed, closing my eyes again.

* * *

"Ok, go through this again with me?" Lindy asked, dressed in the guard's all-black clothes and mask.

"Simple, you sneak in and I'll follow, invisibly, until we find the mind-control device. Then, we destroy it." I shrugged, starting to change into my supersuit.

"And you're sure that this is the right base?" Lindy asked skeptically as she studied the seemingly abandoned building in front of us.

"Positive; we found it on the map he had, remember?" I told her, slipping my mask on. She took a deep breath, nodding nervously.

"Alright, I'm ready." She told me. I turned myself invisible, grabbing her shoulder as we crept closer. Finally, after hiding behind a bush for a few minutes, I spotted a broken window near the top of the building which had been built into the side of a mountain.

"Up there, that window." I whispered to Lindy who looked up, finding the same place. She nodded, gaining courage, before leaping out of the bushes and scrambling up the side of the cliff beside the building. I followed quickly.

We paused on a ledge outside the window, peering in through the shadows. I could see a faint silvery glow bouncing off the dark metal walls inside, and tapped Lindy on the shoulder signaling that we should go inside. We crawled in through the window onto a platform inside. I looked over the edge, seeing two figures below talking to each other by a large machine of some type. The machine was creating the glow inside the building and was, without a doubt, the mind control device.

I smiled. This was almost too easy.

* * *

A/N: There you go, another (emotional) chapter! Please review soon; it helps motivate me to write more. Yes, I'm still in summer band for at least another week. School starts in six days…ugh!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter six**

A/N: Once again, sorry about the delay; school started on Monday and the week seemed to last a whole month (I've got the blisters to prove it!). Oh well, no more summer band! I'm not quite sure where this story is going, I had it all planned out and somewhere along the line I just kind of gave up the plot. As usual, the Incredibles belong to Disney. Enjoy! (And thanks to all who are reviewing!)

* * *

I glanced down at the security cameras and monitoring screens that were assigned to security cell number eight, the super. I almost didn't catch it, but then did a double take as I studied the super's vital signs.

"Forty-six, get someone to check up on cell number eight." I told the man next to me.

"Why?" he mumbled, reading a new issue of top secret sciences.

"Because, his vital signs are dropping; I can't detect any breathing, and his heart-beat is slowing quickly." I leaned towards the screen.

"Alright." He beeped his communicator. "Sixty-seven, check up on cell eight." He replied, hardly paying any attention at all.

I watched the screen as the guard entered, approaching the unconscious super. I saw him feeling for a pulse before releasing him of his shackles. The super fell to the ground in a pile while the guard leaned over to pick him up.

All of a sudden, an explosion seemed to go off, causing the cameras and the monitors to blink off. I sat up, picking up my own communicator in a hurry.

"Supreme two, we've had a situation in cell eight. Send backup immediately. Potentially dangerous situation."

* * *

I led the troops of guards behind me, their weapons ready to fire at anything moving. The steel-plated door had been blasted off and smoke was pouring out from the room. I strode in calmly, glancing around to see if there was any sign of the super.

Suddenly, there was a dark shape limping over towards me from the fog. I held my hand, signaling the guards behind me to hold their fire. The man was dressed in singed guard clothes; he was one of us.

"What happened here sixty-seven?" I asked him as he sunk to the ground, coughing.

"The super-he must've…must've used his power or something." He sputtered. His uniform was hardly intact; most of it being burned off from the explosion, and his skin was smeared with blackness from the smoke.

"Yes," I sighed, looking back up, "It's possible that his energy reserve would be overcharged after not using his power for so long. He must've been taken by surprise when he used too much. Is he…?"

"Dead? Yes, I think so." The guard nodded weakly. I thought I noticed him shaking, but it was probably just from the shock of it all. I nodded, leading my men forward into the smoke to try and find what was left of the super.

* * *

I waited until most of the guards had disappeared into the smoke before stumbling to my feet and staggering out the door. I had had just enough time after the explosion to switch clothes with the guard that had come in to check on me. So far, everything was going according to plan.

I hoped now to find someway out of the base before any of the people here caught on to me. All I could think of as I rushed down the corridors was Lindy, Violet, and Dash. I had to get back to them and get out of here. This mission was too dangerous for any new supers, or experienced supers for that matter, to take on.

I had reached a large room which I recognized as the computer room that Lindy, Violet and I had tried to sneak into when we were caught. I gazed around at all the beeping lights and screens before hurrying on. I was glad no one seemed to notice the condition of my clothes; they were in tatters from the explosion.

Finally I reached what looked like a way out of the maze of hallways and large rooms in the secret base. There was a steel-plated door with 'Garage' in red lettering on its front. I pressed the button by the door and it opened into a dark cavernous room. I walked in slowly, the only light coming from the hallway behind me. That small amount of illumination disappeared as the door slid shut behind me.

For a moment, I stood in the center of the room, unsure. Then, I took a step towards the far side of the garage…and heard the click of a gun being cocked. I turned behind me to find thirty laser sights pin-pointed at me. I raised my arms shakily, closing my eyes.

"Well, well, well…" I heard Ripper's voice mutter, his shadow coming towards me, "What have we here? A super in disguise." He circled me. Then, swung around and hit me in the middle of my back.

I collapsed to the ground with an 'oomph' as he continued his study of me.

"Three strikes you're out I'm afraid." He clicked his tongue. "I'm afraid that you're just too cunning and unpredictable to keep for experiments. Oh well, suppose it's for the best. We could still lure your friends back here with your life at stake, although we really have no more use for you." He smiled down at me before turning to the guards with the guns. "Tie him up, sedate him, and in the morning…" he glanced down at me one last time, "Throw him off the waterfall with a weight attached to his feet. After all, what better way to extinguish a flame than to dowse it in water?"

I was slowly struggling to get up when something hit me in my side, and I fell back into darkness.

* * *

I gave a sharp intake of breath as I woke up, the night still dark. It was probably close to one in the morning by now. I glanced over and saw that I had fallen asleep against Jet. His mouth was hanging open slightly, his head tilted carefully against the rock. I smiled, running my fingers through my hair as I stood and stretched.

Suddenly, I felt my power swelling as my claws flicked out. I brought my hands down quickly, staring with fear at my nails before glancing over at the sleeping Dash.

I gave a small cry as I felt my fangs appear. Quickly I turned and ran crazily through the forest, anywhere far from Dash. Somewhere along the way as I was scrabbling over boulders, I slipped and felt a short pain on my leg. I stumbled and started to run on all fours.

Suddenly, I slowed. What was I running from? _I _was the predator, not that boy back there. He was sleeping no less! I turned and started to head back in his direction.

No; I couldn't hurt Dash! He was my friend! What was I doing? I turned and continued to run, but then I stopped. Closing my eyes, I fell to the ground howling. The transformation was almost complete, and it always happened faster the next time.

Then, my eyes flung back open. I was hungry and I could smell fear close by, a rabbit in a nearby bush. Slinking off, I gave a low growl.

* * *

A/N: Sorry if this chapter was short and vague…I had a long week. I know I've been neglecting my stories on here for too long, but I need to wrap them up quickly if I want to get them done before band wipes my social life out of existence for a few months. I just felt like I was in the mood for writing, even though this was more of a transition chapter than anything else. I'm happy because I just saw the full-length trailer for National Treasure 2. I know that it'll probably be no where close to the original, but Riley is still at least as funny as ever (and I quote: "Oh look, my tax dollars at work coming to arrest me."). Anyways, REVIEW!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter seven**

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Its marching season and I won't have a life again until November. Just remember: patience is a virtue! Alright, I don't own the Incredibles.

* * *

I nimbly landed on the ground, becoming visible as I stood. Lindy thudded to the floor behind me, following closely. The two people in front of the machine turned towards us…and we stopped dead.

"Well, well, well…" Sundew smiled, "Look who came back from the dead."

"Speak for yourself." I murmured, staring at her. I heard Lindy make a strangled sound behind me and it was only then that I realized who the second person was.

"Zach…"Lindy gasped, coming forward weakly.

"Lindy? You…you're one of, of _them_?" he stared at her. I saw her knees shaking as she came closer.

"Zach, what are you doing here?" she reached a hand out. I saw him glance down softly at her, taking her hand gently. Then, he gave a smirk as he wrenched her arm, causing her to cry out and fall to the floor. He stared down at her coldly.

"If you're here to apologize, you're too late. Sundew and me, we're different. We're more powerful, we're stronger than you." He sneered at me as I helped Lindy off the floor. I noticed a certain glint in their eyes, a sort of red light that flashed whenever they spoke, and that's when I understood.

"They're both under mind control." I whispered into Lindy's ear, "We have to destroy the machine. Do you think you can handle Zach?"

Lindy gave a tight nod as she stood. Straitening up, I saw her leap on top of Zach. Before Sundew could react, I made sure to kick her. She staggered, giving me enough time to run over to what looked like a control panel and lead her away from Lindy.

"What're you doing, _super?_" she scowled, creeping closer as I started to push random buttons, hoping that they were all the right one.

"How do you turn this thing off?!" I yelled out in frustration, ducking as Sundew tried to hit me with a slime-covered hand. I rolled away from the panel, following Sundew with my eyes. Lindy rolled next to me, panting.

"How're you doing?" I asked her.

"Fine, and you?" she huffed.

"Know anything about destroying mind control devices?"

"Um…I'd have to say no." she shook her head.

"Then not all that great." I got back up, making a force field in my hand, and throwing it at Sundew. She got knocked off her feet, falling back into the wall.

I ran back to the panel, pushing buttons and turning dials as fast as I could. Then, something slammed into my jaw, knocking me flat on my back. I leaned on my arms, trying to get up as Sundew stood over me.

"Why are you here? What good is this doing you?" she snarled, tossing bursts of slime at me as I tried to back away, still on the floor. The ground hissed and sizzled where the acid landed, but I tried to ignore it. "What, do you think you and your friends are going to stop us? We're too strong, no one can stop us!" she laughed, tilting her head towards the ceiling.

I saw my chance and threw a rather large energy blast at her, sending her sailing into the machine. I looked away as an explosion sent debris and flames flying through the room. Glancing back, I saw Lindy and Zach had been knocked over from the blast, the device being destroyed.

"That works," I muttered.

Jumping up, I ran over to them quickly. Lindy was getting up, and Zach was staring into the smoldering ruins of the machine with wide eyes. I helped Lindy up quickly.

"We have to get out of here, fast. Who knows how much damage this building can withstand? It could collapse or explode for all I know!" I told her.

"But-we have to save Zach!" Lindy told me, turning back to him.

"I'd be more worried about your friend Duke." He spat, a grimace coming onto his face. Lindy paused.

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't heard? Ripper didn't think it was worth the risk to keep him around for experiments. By sunrise he'll be dead." He told her, his grimace turning into a smirk. The red flash in his eyes was back.

"But…" Lindy almost dropped to her knees again. "How?"

"How do you extinguish a flame?" Zach asked her coldly.

Suddenly, a second explosion happened, sending all three of us flying into the far wall. I tried to blink my eyes open and saw that the platform above us was groaning, about to give way. I grabbed a hold of Lindy and Zach as I leapt up on top of it. My feet landing on the edge, I lost my balance and let go of Zach who managed to snag the edge with his hand.

Lindy was on her knees, trying to comprehend what was going on. I looked down at Zach and noticed that for the first time his eyes didn't flash red. He gazed up at us, hanging by one arm above the fiery inferno of what used to be a secret lair.

"Zach! Take my hand!" I yelled down at him. He glanced up at me before looking back down below him. "Zach! We don't have very long!"

He stared back up at us, losing his grip and falling into the flames below. I backed away, the platform screeching as it started to crumble. Lindy grabbed me, jumping out the window we had entered through.

Collapsing on the ground, I took in a few deep breaths as we watched the building dissolve into flames. Lindy was staring at it, standing almost statue-like.

"Where are going?" I asked her as she started to run off into the jungle.

"I'm going to save Duke. I'll meet you at the lagoon as soon as possible." She told me.

* * *

I heard birds singing, and felt a slight breeze in my hair as I woke up. Blinking my eyes open I looked around. Suddenly, I gave a sharp intake of breath as I got up.

Jade was gone.

"Jade?" I called out, being answered only by the jungle birds. Panting, I glanced around the clearing.

I spotted a small trail on the ground and took off, hoping that I could find her. I pushed aside branches roughly, struggling through underbrush as I got farther and farther from the clearing. I stopped after a while, my breathing labored as I glanced around.

"Jade!" I called again out of desperation. I heard a sound, something like a mumble and took off in that direction.

Scrabbling over some boulders, I jumped to the ground in the middle of a patch of tall dark trees, their trunks smooth and straight. Lying in the middle on the ground was Jade, her hair around her in a halo of light.

I approached slowly, kneeling beside her. I noticed how her clothes seemed tattered, as if she had been sneaking through thorn bushes all night.

"Jade," I whispered, touching her shoulder softly.

Her eyes fluttered open, tilting her head towards me. She smiled when she saw it was me.

"Jet…what's up?" she murmured, stretching gracefully like a cat as she got up. I rocked back on my feet, a sigh escaping my mouth.

"I should be asking you that." I told her, bringing her into a hug. I felt her tense before I realized what I was doing. I let go immediately, scooting back a few feet. She stared at me before an evil grin snuck onto her face. I bit the side of my mouth, knowing what was coming.

"I _knew _it!" she cried, jumping up. I groaned as she started to dance around me. "You _do _have a crush on me!" she laughed.

I clenched my fists, trying to fight the urge to jump up and strangle her, yet at the same time wanting to hug her again. She dropped down on her knees in front of me, continuing her chant.

"You _like _me; you have a _crush _on me! I was right because you _like _me; you have a _crush _on me!" She smiled in my face. I stared at her mischievous, haughty gaze for a moment.

Suddenly, I pulled her into a kiss. Her shoulders bunched up as I held her close, her hair falling around her shoulders. I squeezed my eyes shut, afraid to open them. I felt her relax before she leant back away from me slightly.

We sat on the ground facing each other, neither of us speaking for a moment.

"Wow…" she breathed.

"That was…" I started before she grabbed my neck, pressing my face back towards her. The corners of my mouth bent up into a smile as I wrapped my arms around her, closing my eyes slowly.

* * *

A/N: There you go, some fluff! Alright, I'll try to finish this story and my other story (a clue one) before NaNoWriMo starts (look it up if you love impossible deadlines and writing!). Please Review! It helps me make it through these weeks of insanity (aka marching season).


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**



A/N: I'm alive! Yes, I somehow survived marching season and NaNoWriMo (I was an official winner with a total of 50,002 words)! I hope that there are at least a few people still interested in this story. Anyway, I don't own the incredibles. Enjoy!

* * *

I had been running all night, trying to remember which way the base was. I had to save Duke, I had to save him. That was the only thing in my head the whole night. I didn't start to worry until I saw the faint grey light of dawn creeping up through the trees.

I pushed myself harder, hearing water up ahead. Breaking through the trees finally, I fell over into a heap by the river. A faint mist was sneaking towards me from the nearby waterfall, the one that Violet and I had gone over only a day or two ago. Gulping in air, my eyes traveled up to the top of the waterfall.

I saw a small group of people standing on… I didn't know what it was. It looked like a hovering platform of some sort. I recognized Ripper and two other henchmen with him. My gaze stopped on Duke.

He looked gaunt and pale in the early morning light. I saw that he could barely support himself and so he was being held up by one of the men dressed all in black. The other one was kneeling down in front of him, tying something around his feet. I realized that it was a large weight.

I saw Ripper give a crooked smirk as he turned to my boyfriend slowly. He was telling him something, and Duke tried to fix him with a glare, but he looked so weak…

Ripper nodded to the two men that were with him and they both stepped back, leaving Duke alone on the edge of the platform. Duke's knees were shaking, but he managed to hold himself up enough. Then, Ripper hit him over the head with something and Duke pitched forward, falling over the edge of the falls with the weight in tow.

I almost screamed as he plunged into the water, but held it back as Ripper and the two men watched him fall. I waited until the hovering platform they were standing on had flown out of sight before running for the river.



I stripped off as much heavy clothing as I could, knowing that it would take a lot of strength to bring both me and Duke out of the water's strong current. Down to just some black leggings and a thin tank top, I dove into the cold water after Duke.

I only hoped that I could make it to him in time.

* * *

I groggily opened my eyes as I plunged into the cold water, waking up a little bit more than I had been. Looking around, I saw that the river was probably about fifteen feet deep, and already the weight that was tied to my feet had settled on the bottom. I kicked my feet, testing the strength of the rope. It hardly gave. I tried to twist my hands free of the rope that they had been tied up in, but I had no luck there either. I looked up to the surface, the sun glittering down on me.

Then, there was a crashing noise and I looked over to see Lindy as she dove head first into the river. Her body sliced through the water, leaving a pale trail behind her as she grew close. I managed a weak smile as she found me.

Coming over, she immediately went to work on trying to loosen the ropes. My lungs felt as if they were going to explode, but I waited as she telekinetically tried to free me.

She must have noticed my woozy look, because she suddenly gazed into my face. Glancing up at the surface, she glimpsed one last time at me before going up for a quick breath. As she returned, I felt as if I couldn't last much longer.

Lindy came close, tears escaping from her eyes even underwater. She put her hands around my neck, slowly pulling my head towards her. I closed my eyes as our lips met in a slow kiss. I could feel her trying to give me air through the kiss, and I almost smiled as I allowed her tongue to pry open my mouth. She let her breath escape into my body and I felt instantly revived.

I could feel life coursing through me again; just when I had thought that I had run out of time. It was only then that I noticed the water was a glowing green color. Opening my eyes again, I saw Lindy's hair floating around her beautiful face as she pressed her lips against mine, desperately trying to help me in any way.



Then, the glow faded as she let go. I felt so much more stronger now. Watching as she opened her eyes at me, I saw how much weaker she looked. Then I understood.

She had somehow transferred her… energy, or something, into me. My eyes stared at her as a faint smile came onto her face and she sunk lower into the water.

_NO!_ I shouted in my head, snapping through the ropes on my hands as her eyes once again closed. I quickly undid the ropes that held my feet before rocketing over to where she lay on the rocky bottom of the river.

Gently, I gathered her light body into my arms and surged up to the surface. Breaking through the water, I gasped. The current was pushing us downstream, but I swam against it and got us to the shore within a few minutes.

Dragging us out of the water, I carefully laid Lindy down on the grass by the shore. Her eyes were still closed, but I couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. Why couldn't I have paid more attention in health class?

Moving her wet hair out of the way, I leaned over her still body and tried to find a pulse. It took me awhile, but there was one there. I stared down at her again, thinking that she looked paler than she had a minute ago.

I slowly brought my face towards hers, my body shaking. Pressing my lips against hers, I closed my eyes. I tried to breathe some air into her, hoping that it would work in reverse whatever she had done. Sitting back up, I pushed down on her abdomen, trying to follow what CPR had always looked like.

To my amazement, she sputtered, coughing up some water as she turned onto her side. I sat back with a sigh, blinking my eyes to clear them of the gathered tears. After she had finished coughing, Lindy rolled onto her back again with a groan. That's when she noticed me.

"Duke?" she asked, her voice soft. I took a shuddering breath as I met her eyes.



"Yeah?" I asked weakly. She smiled.

"You saved me." She gave a tiny laugh. I smiled slowly, a tear escaping the corner of one of my eyes as I gazed down at her.

"Just returning the favor." I nodded.

* * *

Dash's fingers were intertwined with mine as we slowly made our way out of the heavy forest into a swampy area. I gave a sigh as he stopped. The sun was setting behind the far away volcano, giving the sky a vibrant set of colors that were quickly fading into the purple of nighttime. We both stood motionless as we gazed at the sight, holding onto each other's hands comfortingly. After a moment Dash turned to me with a slight smile on his face. I glanced over into his big eyes and couldn't stop myself from smiling.

"What is it?" I asked finally after a minute or two of him staring at me.

"You." He answered. My smile grew bigger as I looked down in embarrassment. And that was when it happened again.

I doubled over with a howl as pain coursed through my body. Dash dropped my hand and placed his own on my back, worry filling his face.

"Jade? Jade, are you alright? What's wrong?!" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm. I looked over at him out of the corner of my eyes, grimacing as I felt my nails flick out, pricking my skin. Then, another shot of pain hit me as my fangs appeared and I dropped my head again, gasping shortly. My legs gave out and I fell to the ground. The transformation was almost complete.

"Jade, Jade… tell me what's wrong!" Dash demanded desperately.

My eyes flew open. _He _was yelling at _me_? I could feel a growl forming in the back of my throat as anger flooded my mind. I glared back over at his troubled face. Wait, he looked scared. He was only yelling because he was worried. My anger dissolved and I started to breath heavier as I stared at his face.

"Jade?" he asked softly.

"Dash…" I started to answer, but one last shot of pain stopped me. I clenched my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut again.

"What is it?" he asked. I opened my eyes again and looked at the boy in front of me.

"Dash, you're…" I gasped, struggling to keep control of myself, "You are…" I could smell the fear radiating off of him and I started to salivate.

"I'm what?" he asked quietly, the fear making his voice quiver. I blinked one last time and then I knew I was gone.

"You are… PREY!" I roared, jumping up. Dash tumbled to the ground, and I couldn't help but laugh. There was no way he could escape me; I was too powerful and it had been far too long since I had tasted the blood of a super.

* * *

I tried to catch my breath as I stared at the creature in front of me that had once been Jade. Her unkempt hair fell messily into her face, almost concealing her dark eyes that glowed whenever she glanced at me, like an animal's eyes would. She was hunched over, almost as if it were easier for her to walk on all fours than to stand. I noticed that her nails had transformed into thick dark talons and she was sporting some very sharp teeth.

I barely had time to take everything in before she lunged herself at me. I scrambled out of the way as fast as I could and it was at that point that I realized that I still didn't have my powers back.

She recovered quicker than I did, and soon she had lunged at me once again. This time she caught my shoulder with her claws and sent us tumbling to the ground. I cried out in pain as her nails dug deep into my skin, piercing through my jacket and shirt. I tried to keep her snapping mouth away from me, and finally gained enough leverage to kick her off of me. I jumped up as she leapt away.



Looking over my shoulder as Jade clumsily crashed into a tree, I started to sprint along the shore of the swamp or lagoon or whatever it was. I was sure glad that I had actually worked hard in track throughout my high school career instead of just slacking off and using my powers.

Suddenly something caught my side, right where Sundew had once slimed me. I dropped to my knees at once, grinding my teeth against the excruciating agony. Jade pulled her claws out of my side, an evil grin coming over her wild features. I shook with the pain as I watched her lick her nails, cleaning my blood off of them. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block everything out. This can't be happening, there is no way this is real.

"What's the matter… _Jet?_" The thing that used to be Jade sneered, creeping closer. My eyes opened to find her face next to mine. She licked her lips, clearing away the last of the blood from her mouth. "You aren't hurt, _are you_? You aren't scared, _are you_?" she asked tauntingly. I wanted to come back with some smart remark, but the pain was clouding my mind more every second. I was vaguely aware of Jade putting her hand behind my neck, caressing my hair gently. I looked into her eyes, but all I saw was darkness. Then, she leaned in closer and kissed me. I didn't fight back, I couldn't fight back.

Her tongue pried at my lips, and her hand played with my hair more. I was still tense, not able to relax because of the pain and the fear. Then, she bit my bottom lip and drew blood. I gasped, but couldn't escape her grasp. She kept kissing me stronger and stronger as I tried to struggle against her. Then there was an unbearable pain in the wound on my side.

I screamed, finally breaking free of her kiss. She started to laugh, a maniacal, unsettling shriek that made my skin crawl. I used what little strength I could muster to throw her off of me. She stayed where she was, cleaning her hand of my blood again. I scrambled to my feet and started to run. Once she saw that I was escaping, she jumped back up to chase me. I thought I was a goner for sure until I felt a small wave of strength wash over me.

Then the scenery was speeding past me, everything changed into a blur as my speed returned. I had my powers back. But my energy… my energy was all but gone.

"Jade…" I sighed as I slowed, and then tumbled to the ground. Grunting as I landed on my back, I stared up above me at the branches of a tree, and saw someone staring back down at me. I blinked, hoping that I had imagined it. I hadn't.



"Please don't hurt me," I whimpered, trying to gather my voice to make it louder. Then, the person crawled down closer to me, and I saw who it was.

"Why on earth would I hurt you, you freak?" Violet asked with a smirk. And then her smile slipped off her face as she saw me gripping my side and bleeding. "What happened? Who did this?" she demanded, leaping down from the tree branches next to me. I grinned slightly, even though my vision was going fuzzy. Violet, always the protective older sister.

"J-Jade…" I managed to choke out as Violet pried my hands off of my side. I saw her face go blank and could only imagine what she was thinking about.

"We have to get you back home, you're hurt." She told me as she picked me up into her arms.

"No, I'll be better in the morning!" I promised her, my head feeling light as she took off running.

"Promise?" she asked me. I glanced up at her worried purple eyes and gave a small smile.

"I promise." I nodded weakly before my eyes fluttered close.

* * *

I heard a knock on our front door and I sighed as I got back up to go answer it. Helen had gone to bed hours ago, but I still couldn't sleep. Tomorrow was the first day they were going to send a stealth plane to go see if they needed to pick any of the kids up. I was anxious, regretting that I had ever sent them on this mission.

Twisting open the front door, I was surprised to find Max standing outside. It had been raining and his hair and clothes were soaking wet. He looked up at me and I could tell that he was as worried as I was.

"Mr. Parr?" he spoke, fidgeting his feet nervously.



"Max, come on in," I gestured, trying to figure out why he was here. Max nodded and scraped his shoes on the welcome mat before entering. I shut the door behind us, and we both stood awkwardly in the entry way for a moment.

"Sir, I've come to ask you a few questions." He finally piped up. I glanced over at him and saw a determined gleam in his eyes.

"Sure, what do you need to know?" I asked him. The young man gave a sigh before starting to pace.

"I want to get on that stealth plane tomorrow night." He told me. I almost coughed, choking on the air.

"What?!"

"I want to be there and see that she's alright, to see that she's safe." He turned back to me.

"Max, that's going to be very hard…"

"I know it is, but I need to be there and see her." He insisted. I looked back over at him and gave a soft sigh.

"Alright," I spoke quietly, "I'll see what I can do." I gave a slight smile as Max nodded again at me. Then, he was pacing our entry way again. I watched him for a moment, wondering what he was so worked up about. Finally he stopped and turned to look at me again, a different look in his eyes this time.

"Also, I wanted to ask you if…" he paused, trying to gather his words up before he spoke. I waited, curious about what he was going to say. He cleared his throat.



"Well, it's about Violet again, and… I know that I should probably ask you this before anything else." He stumbled over his words again nervously.

"Go on," I insisted, wondering if what I thought he was really going to ask me what I thought he was going to. I saw his hands wringing and gave an encouraging smile. I felt the same way when I went to go ask Helen's parents what he was about to ask me. I wonder if her parents had this same feeling of dread and excitement in the back of their minds like I do now.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I left you hanging there, but I bet that most of you can guess what Max was going to ask. Fear not, my next chapter won't take so long to post (5 months and counting)! Read and review please! Come on, I know you want to!

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

A/N: I don't own the incredibles. Enjoy!

* * *

I let my eyes flutter open as I heard birds singing. I groaned and rolled onto my side when a ray of sunshine blinded me. Violet was looking at me. That's when I remembered.

"Jade…" I gave a sharp gasp as I struggled into a sitting position. I felt stiff and sore.

"Who's Jade?" my sister gave me a puzzled look as she helped me lean against the tree behind me. I looked around and saw that we were just outside the lagoon we had first landed in.

"She… the girl I rescued…" I mumbled, still trying to piece together everything that had happened.

"What happened to her anyway? Did you find out anything from her?" Violet asked as she handed me what was left of one of her water bottles. I gulped the water down before explaining anything.

"She… this island, they're using it to create… _experiments_ out of people, some form of supers that they're going to use to wipe out the real supers." I told her, trying to remember what Jade had told me.

"But that's insane!" Jade cried as she stood.

"That's what I said! But Jade…" all of a sudden a wave of realization washed over me and my eyes glazed over. Violet glanced at me before kneeling down next to me, worry in her big eyes.

"What about her?" my sister asked.

"She's one of them, she's an experiment. That's why everything…" I trailed off again, my brain working faster than my mouth. This whole time I had thought that… I don't even know what I thought about Jade. How else could she have lived on this island her whole life? It's not like she was held captive for seventeen or eighteen years. She had been brought here and experimented on. I had been too stupid to see that before; and now it was too late.

* * *

I woke up in a pool of dried blood. I blinked, trying to remember. Most of the time I couldn't remember what had gone on during the time of my power-surges, but this time a few details remained. Dash, he was scared, he was trying to get away… I had plunged my talons into his shoulder and he had screamed in pain as I tasted his blood, weaker than most super's but still full of life.

I gasped as I found myself thinking about the taste of his blood. What was wrong with me? How could I have done that to him? What had happened to him? Was he even alive?

That last thought jerked me awake and I sat up, running a blood-stained hand through my rat's nest of hair. Surely I couldn't have… _killed _him?! I felt warmth on my face and realized that tears were running down my cheeks, gently washing away the blood. I looked down at myself and only felt more helpless. My clothes were tattered and torn and I was covered in blood. Fur and leaves stuck to my body and my hair and there was a nasty bruise that was blossoming on my thigh.

I don't know how long I sat still, crying in the blood and the dirt. Then, after a long while, I mechanically stood and started to limp off. I don't know how far or how long I walked; I just knew that I eventually brought myself to a river or lagoon. Standing at the shore, I stared at the horizon and let the small waves lap at my feet before giving a sigh.

I kicked off my boots before peeling off my ripped shirt and socks and shimmying out of my shorts. Tossing all my clothes in a pile, I slowly walked into the water, giving a small twitch of a smile as the water washed over my ragged body. I sat down, going all the way underneath the surface for a moment. Then, I re-emerged scrubbing my hair and trying to rid my head of the memories.

* * *

"Lindy, Lindy wake up." I heard Duke whisper into my ear.

"Mmhmm…?" I murmured as I stretched, trying to coax my eyes open. I was wrapped up in Duke's arms, his warmth comforting. I still had on only the thin leggings and tank top from the day before. We had walked all day and well into the night. Then we had collapsed and gone immediately to sleep, exhausted.

As I opened my eyes, I saw Duke staring intently off into the nearby bushes. I stayed quiet, nervous at how he looked. Then I heard a branch snap and saw a flash of black as something moved in the distant brush. My eyes grew large as I tensed.

Duke slowly unwound his arm from around me and helped me stand slowly. He leaned down to my ear.

"We were followed." He told me quietly. I gulped as I heard another crack. "There's six, but we can still get away." he whispered, sneaking backwards silently. I moved after him, holding my breath. Then, I stepped on a twig.

We both froze. For a second, nothing happened.

Then two men erupted out of the trees. I screamed and ducked as Duke held up his hand, releasing a burst of fire at them. One howled as he fell down, on fire. The other rolled out of the way. The trees and bushes behind them caught on fire as another henchman ran out after us. Duke pushed me out of the way as he threw a punch at the man.

I turned to find another behind me. Without thinking I lunged my leg out at him and kicked him square in the chest. He groaned as he hit the ground. I gave a smile and kicked him once more before someone grabbed me from behind. I grabbed onto his muscular arm, struggling against his hold on my neck. Leaning down towards it, I sunk my teeth into his forearm. He yelled, and released me as he jumped back.

Duke hit him over the head with a tree branch, and the man collapsed to the ground along with the one Duke had been fighting with. Duke and I smiled at each other briefly before the last three men jumped out at us. Getting some leverage, I threw the man behind me into a tree, then picked him up telekinetically and tossed him up into the air. He came down and remained still. Duke tossed another unconscious henchman on top of him.

"That all?" I asked, trying to catch my breath. Duke counted the men on the ground before throwing me a panicked look.

"No, there's still one more…" before he could end his sentence he was knocked on the jaw with a fist. I jumped on top of the man and distracted him as Duke picked himself back up. The henchman threw me off and I crawled behind a tree as I saw Duke run into the bushes for cover.

I pressed my sticky back against the rough trunk of the tree, trying to control my breathing as I heard the man sneak around the forest, looking for us. Then, everything got quiet. All I could hear was the sound of morning jungle birds. Peeking my head around the trunk, I scanned the trees for any sign of the man.

Someone jumped up in front of me and I gasped in surprise as the henchman smiled at me. Then, there was a rushing sound and I turned my head back around the trunk just before a rush of fire shot out of the forest. I heard the man give a scream before he fell to the ground. I turned back around to see him smoldering on the ground at my feet.

"Hey," Someone whispered from behind me. I jumped, inhaling sharply. I spun to find Duke standing there. "Calm down, it's just me." He told me, wrapping his arms around me protectively. I let my breathing slow as he hugged me, finally relaxing.

"That's all of them, right?" I asked with a smirk. Duke looked down at me with a smile.

"That's all, I promise." He gave a small laugh, "Now let's go find Violet and Dash."

* * *

Violet had gone off to find something to eat, seeing as how we were running low on our food supply. I had told her that I was going to go soak in the lagoon, after persuading her that I was perfectly fine and would be perfectly safe. I was actually kind of glad that she had left for a while; she had started getting on my nerves. I was healing a lot faster now than when Sundew had gotten me a month or two ago.

Stripping off my clothes and leaving them hanging on the branches of a small tree, I slowly sank to a sitting position in the shallow water, grimacing as the cold salt water touched my wounds. I relaxed as I sat, splashing around for a few moments until I got used to the water. Then, I stood and started wading our farther, making sure I stayed where I could touch. I didn't want to meet a shark out in deeper water.

Deciding to explore the shoreline, I swam around the edge of the lagoon. For awhile the only sounds were the animals and birds of the island and my quiet splashing. And then, there was a different sound; one of something else swimming nearby.

I stayed still, listening for a moment. Suddenly, I saw something swim around the corner of the beach and pop up in front of me, only a few feet away. My mouth dropped open. Jade and I were standing face to face.

At first both of our faces were shocked, seeing each other so soon after last night had seemed impossible. And then both of us grew beet red as we realized that we were standing in knee-length water and our clothes were back on the beach.

My knees gave out and I splashed down into the water. Jade sunk almost to her chin, her face as bright red as my sunburn had been. For a moment we were both quiet and we avoided each other's gaze. Then, our eyes met and we gave nervous smiles.

"You didn't see…" she started.

"No! No, nothing at all," I shook my head, "You?"

"No, didn't see anything." She told me, her voice strained.

We stayed still for another moment, the awkwardness overcoming us. Then Jade gave a heavy sigh.

"I… didn't hurt you too bad?" she asked quietly, her eyes downcast.

"No, I'm fine." I told her.

"I… I don't know what to say." She told me and I could hear the shame in her voice. I took a breath.

"How about telling me what the people on this island were doing to you?" I asked her. She glanced up at me in panic, but I stared unflinchingly into her weak eyes.

"So… you figured out that I was an experiment." She said, eyes falling down again. The sadness in her voice got to me this time.

"Jade, why didn't you tell me?" I asked softly, reaching a hand out to her chin. She jerked away, still not meeting my gaze.

"I don't know; it was almost as if I was deciding which side to take. I mean, my whole life I've been trained to hate supers, then you come and save me. I didn't know how to tell you, not without scaring you."

"So you decided to wait and scare me with your… your '_superpowers_'?!" I asked harshly. Jade cringed.

"I-I don't have control over them; sometimes I can manipulate my power, but it's like… it overpowers me at times and then I'm not… me." She tried to explain. I didn't say anything. She moved through the water and reached out for my hand. I grabbed it away. She stared at me for a moment before sighing.

"You want to know what they did to me? They didn't start until I was twelve; then the surgeries took place. I don't remember anything but the excruciating pain, and the changes. It used to be only on the full moon, and it used to take me much longer to change. Now it takes barely half a minute. When I'm in my animal form, I can't remember who I am or what I'm doing, and… Dash, I thought I had killed you." She finished quietly. I looked over at her and found her gazing down into the murky lagoon water. I gave a weak smile as I reached out and took her hand. She glanced up at me quickly.

"Jade… what were they going to do to you before I rescued you?" I asked her. She gave a sigh.

"It was my final surgery, the mind control one. They were going to place a chip into my neck and after that they would be able to control my power. I was actually happy about it, because then my power would be under at least a little control." She told me. I reached out and brushed her hair out of her face, making her smile up at me.

And then someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me out of the water roughly by my shoulders. As they pinned my arms behind my back, I heard Jade scream. I looked over and saw that there were two men wrestling her out of the water. They pinned her arms like mine, and she stopped struggling. And then a tall, rather thin man stepped out of the jungle and started pacing in the water between us.

"Well, well, well…" He gave an icy smile at me as Jade's face paled, "Speed Demon, it seems as if you've tamed our wild beast here. Pity, and after she almost succeeded in killing you."

He slowly waded over to Jade, stroking the side of her face with a bony finger. She struggled, trying to get away from him. I narrowed my eyes.

"Who are you? What do you want?" I asked. He looked back over at me.

"Oh, I forgot. You're the only one I've yet to meet. I'm Gerald Ripper, head of the Agents Against Supers. Your friends all met me a few days ago in my dungeon. However, two escaped and one drowned. It was a shame none of them were used for our experiments. Maybe you could prove a suitable substitute."

* * *

**A/N:** Ohhh... what's going to happen? I sure don't know. Come on, what do you expect? I'm just the author. How should I know what's going to happen next? Alright, alright, so maybe I do know what's going to happen. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to tell you! Although it could involve some lava (hint, hint)!Keep reviewing! And reading, that's good too!

* * *




	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

**A/N:** Tenth chapter, yea! Almost done. Ready for the climatic climax? Me too. Remember, I still don't own the incredible!

* * *

The two guards that were holding onto me tightened their grip as I tried to struggle. All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye I saw something in the water. It looked like the water was piling up at two places, almost as if someone were standing there, someone… _invisible_. I gave a small smile.

Then one of the guards that had been holding me kicked the back of my legs with his heavy boot and I dropped to the ground, the water splashing over my shaking legs. I glanced back up at Ripper and saw him turn Jade's face roughly so that she was looking at me.

"Look at him, look at your fearless rescuer now! He's not so tough, is he? Surely you could've killed him last night? Where is that fierce beast inside of you? What happened to that monster I helped create?" He yelled at her. I saw her panting, her ribs expanding and then shrinking against her tanned skin. Her eyes had a certain look in them, a familiar look to them. "Are you just another worthless super like him? I should have never brought you here." He spat, tossing her into the water.

And then the flare signal shot out of the trees on shore, scaring the guards around us. Violet emerged in her super suit and started to attack them, shooting purple orbs and kicking. I saw Lindy and Duke come out towards us, attacking from a distance. And while all this was going on, only me and Ripper noticed Jade.

Jade made a growling noise, slowly picking herself out of the water. Her hair fell into her face as she snarled, her fangs dripping in saliva. I backed up as the guards were slowly beaten down. Violet came next to me as the fighting slowly stopped, her eyes wide as she stared at Jade's transformation.

"What's happening?" she whispered.

"Get ready to run," I told her, grabbing her arm, ready to flee.

Jade gave a howl, her claws emerging and her eyes growing dark. But this time it was different; she started to sprout fur and grow a tail. Finally, the monster Jade slipped down onto all fours and swept her gaze across the group of us.

My breath caught as this werewolf stared me down, but then her gaze swiftly turned onto Ripper and I could've sworn she smiled. Ripper's smile disappeared as Jade pounced, and before he had time to run, she was on top of him, clawing and biting viciously.

I turned and ran, dragging violet behind me as we splashed onto the shore. Lindy and Duke were watching as Ripper got torn to shreds, but I didn't want to look back. They came over to us as we stumbled onto shore, Lindy carrying the last remaining backpack with her. Smiling sheepishly at me, she dug around and handed me some shorts, a jacket, and a T-shirt.

My face paled and then turned crimson as I slowly realized I had been naked for the past few minutes. Grabbing the clothes from her, I hurriedly got dressed behind a nearby bush. As I pulled the shirt over my head, I heard something like an explosion and I fell to the ground as what felt like an earthquake ripped through the island.

As I got the shirt over my head, I looked up to see the volcano in the middle of the island erupting. I joined our group out by the lagoon again quickly and saw that they were as shaken as I was.

"Where's the stealth plane? We have to get out of here!" Lindy cried.

"Relax; it'll take hours for the lava to reach us." Duke told her, trying to ease her. "Besides, we could just wade out into the lagoon if it does get to us before the plane does."

"I think I see the plane!" Violet waved into the air. I gave a smile as our group cheered. And then Jade was screaming and running into the forest, followed by a very bloody Ripper.

"Jade…" I followed her with my eyes, " Jade, NO!" I yelled, running after her.



* * *

It was beyond me how Ripper could've survived an attack from something as ruthless as a humanoid beast with long claws and sharp teeth, but he did. And then he was chasing the now less-scary, bleeding girl into the jungle… and Dash was running after them.

"Dash! Dash, where are you going?!" I yelled after my brother. He didn't listen to me; he never does.

Lindy and Duke started after him, but I stopped them.

"I know how we can get to him faster and safer." I told them, turning my eyes back to the sky.

* * *

"JADE! Jade?" I called as I jogged through the dense jungle, glancing around nervously. I didn't know who- or what- could jump out at me from behind the trees. And then, I heard whimpering. "Jade?" I asked hopefully as I turned and started following the sound.

I broke through the trees and entered a clearing, and there was Jade, crumpled beneath the branches of a tree across the way. She was doubled over, no longer in her animal-form, clutching her abdomen which was bleeding.

"Jade!" I cried, rushing over to her. She glanced up at me, bleary-eyed and frightened. "Are you alright?" I asked, trying to pry her hands off of her abdomen. She only moaned and clawed at my hands, rolling onto her side. "Jade…?" I asked softly.

"You're too late, _super_…" sneered a voice from behind me. I turned to find Ripper step into the clearing, holding a bloody machete. He ran a thin finger against the reddened edge of the weapon as he stared at me.

"It was laced with poison that will destroy her powers, and possibly her as well. I forget how strong the dose was." He told me lightly, inspecting his bloody fingertip as he rubbed it against his other fingers.

I gave him a glare before yelling out in rage and throwing myself on top of him. I forgot that he still had the machete. We tumbled to the ground, rolling over and over again as I avoided the dangerous weapon. Ripper smirked at me as we fought on the ground.

"What do you think you can do, _super? _Do you think you can save her? Do you think you could stop what's happening to her? It's because of you that she's losing her powers. She'll be worthless, just like all the rest of you supers when we finish with you!" he laughed. I clenched my teeth, trying to keep my anger in check.

And then I spotted it up ahead: a cliff. Strategically making sure that we rolled in that direction, I tried to throw a few punches at Ripper, while dodging the messy end of his blade.

"You can't defeat me, not when you're as weak as you are, not when I'm this strong! You can't even protect your friends from danger! You're just a worthless super! Worthless!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. I smiled down at him.

"You're wrong; as long as there are supers in the world, there will be good and evil, and good will always win. Like now." I told him. A confused look came onto his face until I spun us once more, finally bringing us to the cliff.

He glanced back up at me with panic in his eyes.

"You're crazy!" he cried in desperation. I shrugged.

"No more than you."

And then, I rolled onto my side, sending us over the edge. Ripper yelled as he plummeted, faster and farther than I fell. I snagged a scraggly vine, somehow stopping my fall. Watching the evil man disappear far below me.

And then I glanced back up at the short distance that separated me from the top of the cliff. Taking a deep breath, I threw my arm up and managed a handhold. Slowly, I got myself back up to the top. Lying down on the ground, I caught my breath before my mind turned back to Jade.

"Jade!" I gasped, getting up and running back to the clearing. She was still there, lying down with closed eyes. I approached slowly, my eyes growing wet with tears. I was too late; she was gone. Kneeling down next to her naked, bleeding body, I took off my large jacket and wrapped her up in it. And then I dropped my head. "I'm so sorry…" I whispered.

I heard a cough and then: "Jet?"

My head popped back up to find Jade staring at me. My mouth dropped open as I tried to blink away my tears.

"Jade, you're alive!" I cried, grabbing her up in a hug. She groaned and I immediately set her back down.

"Good to see you too." She murmured, rubbing her neck with another cough.

"Are you alright?" I asked, still not believing that she was actually alive.

"Yeah, being normal just feels weird." She shrugged, sitting up slowly. Then it dawned on me.

"You lost your powers?" I sighed, "This is all my fault."

Then her hand was on my shoulder. I looked over at her.

"I'd rather it have been me than you." She smiled. I smiled back. Then, a rumble shook the entire island. I glanced up to see the sky filled with smoke and glowing with lava. I helped Jade up.

"Hurry, we have to get out of here!" I told her, picking her up and rushing off into the jungle.

* * *

**A/N:** There you go, hopefully only one or two more chapters and this will all be over with. I hope that you've had fun reading this, even though there are probably misspelled words and inconsistencies everywhere. Chapter eleven is on the way (it'll come faster if you review!).

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

**A/N:** Second to last chapter, yea! I like writing about superheroes for some reason; it's almost as fun as writing about national treasure or pirates! The song in this chapter is **Keep Dreaming Upside Down **by **October Fall** (and that girl from Paramour). It's crazy awesome so go listen to it (preferably while you're reading this). Hopefully I can finish this story before I leave for TREK next week. If you don't hear back from me, then I fell off a cliff. I don't own the Incredibles. Enjoy!

* * *

The stealth aircraft landed on the shore, and I had never felt more relieved in my life. This plane looked more like a helicopter, yet one large enough to fit all of us inside. I hurriedly climbed in, and froze. Max was sitting on one of the seats, smiling and holding a small bouquet of flowers.

"Max!" I gasped and he laughed softly.

"Violet, get inside!" Lindy pleaded. I blinked and took a seat next to my boyfriend.

"What… what are you doing here?" I asked him, talking above the whirring of the propellers.

"I just wanted to be here when they got you." He shrugged. I smiled at him.

"Make room lovebirds, we all have to fit in here!" Duke sighed as he squished in between me and Lindy. I scooted closer to Max and blushed as he handed me the flowers.

"Where's Dash?" Max asked. Then I remembered. I quickly turned to the pilot.

"You have to fly over the jungle; my brother is still out there!"

* * *

I clutched Jade tightly in my arms as we ran, already sticky from sweat. I felt hot all over and knew that the lava must be getting closer. Trees and bushes blurred past us as I sped closer towards the volcano, closer to the spilled lava.

"Dash, where are we going?!" Jade asked desperately. I stopped, catching my breath and setting her down.

"I'm trying to reach higher ground and a clearing so we can see where the lagoon is, or where the stealth plane is." I told her, walking a few feet more. I brushed aside some leaves and found a rocky outcropping, free of any foliage. "This is perfect, come on!" I smiled and waved over at Jade.

"Alright, I hope you know what you're doing; this lava's getting close." She told me warily, her face glowing from the heat.

**I was burning up to fall apart**

**And the walls fall down around my heart**

**Now I'm feeling sick**

I looked around, but couldn't see anything familiar.

**It's always something lately**

**I was broken down, but still looked good**

**I was kissing clocks, you knew I would**

**Now I'm feeling scared**

**Someone said that they miss this**

As Jade joined me, I heard what sounded like the faint buzzing of an engine. Glancing up, we both saw what looked like a helicopter heading towards us.

**The night is young**

**We wait for love**

**Upside down we dream**

I saw Violet waving down at us as the stealth plane flew closer to the ground.

**At home we sleep **

**And wait to leave**

**Upside down we dream**

"Hey freak, need a lift?" She smiled down at me.

**And we are all brighter than stars back home**

I laughed and jumped up, catching the leg of the aircraft before grabbing a hand down to Jade.

**Don't leave so fast**

She took my hand and the helicopter rose back into the sky with us hanging onto the undercarriage.

**Don't leave so fast**

I tried to swing both legs onto the bar I was holding, but only managed to snag one as I almost dropped Jade. She threw her other hand up to me fearfully.

**I was in the sun, but feeling cold**

**I was grabbing tight, but lost a hold**

**Now who'd want to stay?**

I caught her hand, and fell off-balanced.

**Yeah well we're all here changing**

**I was ripped apart, but held by glue**

**I was full of lies, but spoke the truth**

**Now I've lost myself**

I quickly slid my other leg onto the bar, regaining my balance.

**Oh I forgot how this felt**

I swung upside down, holding onto Jade.

**The night is young**

**We wait for love**

**Upside down we dream**

**At home we sleep**

**And wait to leave**

**Upside down we dream**

**And we are all brighter than stars back home**

I watched Jade's hair get whipped around by the wind as my sweaty hands slowly lost their hold.

"Jade, I'm losing my grip!" I shouted down to her. She glanced down at the lava-covered ground, then back up at me. My breathing was labored as I struggled to hold onto her. The wind swung me carelessly around and I began to feel seasick. I didn't like flying upside down; it gave me a dizzying sensation. The ground underneath us rushed past as we flew, and my hands grew more slippery.

Then Jade gave me a calming look and it steadied me. I smiled weakly down at her as she gazed up at me.

"Let go." She told me.

**Don't leave so fast**

I felt all the air rush out of my body.

"What?" I asked weakly.

**Don't leave so fast**

"Let go; don't worry about me, just get home safely." She replied with a serene look on her face, as if she had accepted her fate. I gulped as one of her hands slipped through mine.

"No, I won't!" I cried, clutching her other hand tightly. I couldn't lose her again; had I saved her from death once only to lose her again?

**The night is young**

**We wait for love**

**Upside down we dream**

**At home we sleep**

**And wait to leave**

**Upside down we dream**

**And we are all brighter than stars back home**

"Dash," she asked softly, "just let go; it'll be easy."

I stared into her big green eyes and relaxed my shoulders. Her hand slid a little farther out of my reach.

**Don't leave so fast**

And then, her hand slipped out of my grip and she was falling, her hair flying around her face as she disappeared into the orange glow of the fire below us. I gasped, shocked by the sudden loss.

**Don't leave so fast**

I stayed there, hanging upside down by my legs, as I desperately searched below me for my friend. And then, I hung my head and let my tears spill into the air, whipped away by the wind just like Jade had been.

"NO!" I cried, glaring at the island far below as we flew away. "NO! NOT JADE!"

* * *

The mood in the back of the stealth plane had gone from cheery to depressive in a very short time. Everyone's face held worry and grief. I stole a glance over at Dash who was lying on the floor. Violet was kneeling down next to him, trying to offer him some comfort, but his face was still full of tears. He wasn't making any noise, just staring out the window of the aircraft and crying.

I sighed and settled back next to Lindy, holding her hand tighter. That could've been any of us out there, trapped underneath the helicopter. It was a miracle all of us got back with our lives. Or, at least most of us.



* * *

We were dropped back off at our house, weary and exhausted from our trip to Nomanisan. Mom met us in the doorway.

"Oh, thank goodness you're back! Come here, let me make you something to eat!" she hugged us close. Dash sighed and looked away.

"No thanks mom, I'm not very hungry." He told her before trudging off towards his room. Mom watched him go with worry. I touched her arm.

"Here, let me go talk to him. We'll be down in a few minutes." I told her. She nodded at me slowly before disappearing into the kitchen. I sighed and followed my little brother into his room.

"Dash," I closed the door behind me, "I know that you're upset about what happened tonight, but you can't dwell on it." I told him as I sat down on his bed.

"Violet, I just lost a friend. Please, don't try and lecture me about putting on a brave face just for mom." He told me, falling into a chair.

"I'm not trying to tell you to put a brave face on for anyone!" I retorted. He glanced over at me and I took a breath before continuing in a softer tone. "It's just- you're going to be sad for a while, I get that, but you can't just hide all your sadness up here in your room or anything. Dash," I leaned forward, "what happened between you and Jade?"

He stared at me before looking down at the ground, his face reddened.

"After I rescued her, I lost my powers because of some dart thing they shot me with. It was only temporary, but I still was frustrated that we had to travel so slowly. Anyway, Jade really opened up to me that night, and we each told each other stuff that we probably wouldn't tell people normally. Well, then she ran off and I got all worried about her, and when I found her we got into a fight and then…" he glanced up at me before returning his gaze to his feet, "And then we kissed. After that, we felt even closer to each other. It was sometime after that that she attacked me. Then we found each other again, and she 

explained everything to me and, I still cared about her. Ripper hurt her in the jungle and at first I thought he had killed her. I never remember feeling that scared before, maybe not even when I was attacked by sundew. I just… I really care about her and I… I don't want to lose her." He finished softly.

I blinked slowly before a small smile slipped onto my face. I gently reached a hand out and touched Dash's shoulder. He glanced up at me quickly.

"I didn't realize it was _that_ bad." I told him quietly. "This might take longer to get over; but Dash, listen to me, don't let this ruin your life. Eventually you'll meet a girl who'll be so amazing you won't even remember Jade. I know that sounds harsh, but there is someone out there for you."

"What if that someone was Jade?" he asked. I blinked.

"What?" I asked. He sighed.

"Nothing, forget it."

"No, you were thinking… you think that Jade might have been…" I trailed off, surprised that he had been that close to a girl. "Dash, what happened to you? You used to have a new girlfriend every week and break up with someone without even batting an eyelash. Now, you suddenly think that some girl, who you've only known for three days, is… '_The one_'? Aren't you too young to be thinking about that? You're only eighteen!" I told him.

"It was stupid, just forget it." He sighed. I stared at him before exhaling slowly.

"Look, even if it takes you ten years to get over this girl, I want you to know… that I'll always be there for you." I told him. He glanced up at me.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah, I _am _your older sister after all." I told him, standing. He managed a weak smile, and then quickly stood.

"Is mom baking cookies?" he asked, sniffing the air and heading out into the hallway.

I laughed as I followed him out of the room. The way to a man's heart is through food.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, I promise that next chapter is made up completely of Violet/Max fluff. Maybe there is a _little_ of Dash/Jade, but I'm not going to spoil it for you guys! Please review! I love reading reviews!

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter twelve**

* * *

**A/N:** Last chapter (_sniffle_), how sad. Don't worry; all loose ends will be (mostly) tied up here. I might leave a _little_ Dash/Jade for another fanfic… but I'm not going to say anything more about that now. Enjoy! P.S. I don't own the Incredibles.

* * *

I sighed softly as I brushed through my dark silky hair. Setting my brush down against the counter, I stared at myself in the mirror. I was dressed in a dark blue cocktail dress that was almost too low-cut and Max's dented locket hung proudly around my neck. I smiled at my reflection before opening the door and heading out into the hallway.

I had been staying at my parent's house for the past week until I was used to normal life again. Max had convinced me of going out tonight and I couldn't resist; it had been so long since we had spent some time alone.

I was about to go downstairs when my dad caught my arm. I turned to him. He looked… nervous for some reason.

"Hey honey," he smiled weakly at me.

"Hey dad." I replied, slightly puzzled.

"Look, I just… before you go meet Max, I just wanted you to know that…" He took a breath, "I love you and that you'll always be my daughter." His eyes had a faraway look to them.

"Um, dad," I woke him up from his daydream, "I'm just going on a date. Max is waiting for me downstairs. It'll be okay, I'll be back in a couple of hours." I told him.

"Oh, right, right…" he sighed, shaking his head and letting go of my arm. I smiled up at him slowly.

"Alright, well... goodbye." I waved to him nervously.

"Goodbye sweetie." He waved back at me sadly. I walked down the stairs, still wondering what was wrong with him.

Max was standing in the entryway awkwardly, his hands in his pockets as he waited for me. I smiled as I made my way downstairs. Max's hazel eyes found mine and they widened as he watched me come towards him. A smile lit up his face, and I felt a slight blush come onto my face as well.

"Violet, you look… amazing." He smiled wider at me. I giggled to myself, just as nervous as he was. We spent a minute or two staring at each other before I shook myself.

"Well, are you ready to go? My dad was really freaking out up there and I kind of want to get out of here…" I started. Max touched a hand to my face and I stopped.

"Wait, follow me into the kitchen for a moment, I need to ask you something." He told me. I laughed softly as he led me into the dark room.

"Max, what…" I started to ask him before I saw the candles lit on the table, all set for a dinner for two. My mouth fell open. Max stood in front of the table, his eyes searching my face. "Max, what is all this?" I asked him, coming more into the room.

"Well, I needed the perfect setting before I asked you this." He told me, glancing around nervously. I smiled at him as he sat me down in a chair facing him. "Violet, I've never met anyone like you before." He told me.

"Yeah, not too many people can turn invisible." I laughed, and he smiled softly over at me.

"No, not just that, but everything about you is… remarkable. I mean, you make me laugh and we have fun together and when something bad happens, you're always there for me, just like I'm always there for you." He held both of my hands tightly as he spoke and I was compelled to gaze into his face. "Violet, we just work together greatly and…" he sighed, "I want that to last forever."

I got a shiver through my spine as he finished. And then, in one smooth motion, he brought himself down on one knee. I blinked as he let go of my hands, fishing around in his back pocket for something. Bringing out a small black box, he snapped it open. Inside was a ring. My mouth fell open.

"Violet…" his voice brought me back to reality, "…will you marry me?"

It was dead silent as I sat there, and time seemed to stop along with my heart. My eyes moved away from the diamond ring to Max's large hazel eyes, and I smiled. Then, with a gasping breath of air time came crashing back to its normal speed as I jumped into Max's arms, smiling and laughing more than I ever remembered.

"Yes!" I cried, tears running down my face, "Yes, Yes!" I laughed, and Max picked me up and spun me around. Finally, he slowed and we kissed each other gently.

It was only then that the clapping and cheering and whistling reached my ears. I looked out of the kitchen into the hallway and saw a huge cluster of people. Mom, and Dad, Dash, Lindy, Duke, Lucius, Dr. Demmer, Edna… there were probably more, but I couldn't see them past the crowd. My face turned red as Max broke out in laughter.

I turned my head back to him, smiling.

"Did you plan all this?" I asked.

"Do you like it?" he asked nervously.

"Yes!" I laughed. He smiled.

"Then yes, I did." He smiled. I giggled softly and then leaned towards him, kissing him much longer this time.

* * *

I noticed Dash sitting alone, a plate of un-eaten cake in his hands. Glancing around, I left Duke's side and slowly approached him.

"Hey Dash," I smiled at him, "How are you doing?" I asked, crouching down next to him. He glanced up at me with reddened eyes.

"Okay…" he shrugged, pushing his cake around with a fork.

"I bet this isn't helping any," I looked over at Max and Violet who were currently talking to a very enthusiastic Edna, no doubt discussing a wedding dress design. In the hubbub of people and supers, Dash got lost in the noisy crowd. He was the only one not celebrating.

"No, not really." He sighed glumly. I smiled weakly at him before putting a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay Dash, it's alright to be sad. I understand how badly this must hurt you." I told him softly.

"Yeah, so does everyone else." He muttered. Setting his plate down, he slowly stood. "I'm just going to go up to my room so I don't ruin the mood." He told me, walking off.

"Are you sure?" I called out after him. He nodded, not even turning around. I frowned as he went upstairs. Duke came over to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

"You think he'll be alright?" he asked me. I sighed before smiling over at my boyfriend.

"Eventually." I told him. He gave me a sad smile, and then we both re-joined the party.

* * *

Dressed in some jeans that were too big and a tank top that was too small, I made my way down the street. All I had was a small blue bag that was thrown over my shoulder; my worldly possessions. Glancing up at the darkening sky, I blinked away tears.

The only thing I had asked for after being rescued were directions to his house. I didn't need anything else; I didn't have anything else. Sighing, I closed my eyes and finally forced a painful smile to come onto my face.

Smiling, it had been so long since I had done that. I wonder if he was suffering as much as I was. Maybe he was suffering more, because for all he knew I was dead. Opening my eyes again, I fingered my skin that was slowly healing from the burns. Eventually my life would return to normal, and that would take time to get used to. My life had never been normal, but now I had a chance to live for myself.

Taking another step, my tired eyes found his house down the block. Almost there, and yet it still seemed so far. With another sigh, I slowly walked towards the house that was the last thing I had. With one last look at the dark sky that I had been flown across in a rescue plane, I turned and slowly started up the walk to the front door.

_Dash,_ I thought, _you're the only thing I have left. Please save me._

* * *

**A/N:** Told ya I'd throw in some Dash/Jade. And you all thought she was dead! I don't do sad endings, you should know that! Anyway, this is the last chapter. If enough people complain, I might have to add one more, but this is all for now. I hope you enjoyed this story. It took me almost a whole year to write it for some reason. Now I just have to finish my clue story! Review please!

* * *


End file.
